Film jobs up, TV jobs down through 2018

Government predicts growth in editing, camera positions

When it comes to media jobs, there’s a dichotomy between those related to film, which are growing, and those related to broadcasting, which are stagnant or declining.

That’s the verdict of the latest Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The document projects that film and video editor positions will increase 12% between 2008 and 2018. Camera operators should see a 9% gain in gigs available.

However, the forecast for broadcast technicians is for a mere 2% job growth. Although that’s below the expected 10% overall U.S. job gain for the period, it’s better than the outlook for personnel in front of the camera.

The future for the category defined by BLS as radio and TV announcers looks bleak, with a projected 6% decline in positions for the decade through 2018. Reporters and correspondents face even worse prospects, with BLS expecting an 8% drop in the number of those jobs.